Wanderings
by AZGirl
Summary: Reese takes to the road to find himself again. Sequel to Observations and Reflections but can be read alone. Spoilers for episodes up to 3.10 The Devil's Share. Written before 3.11 Lethe aired in the U.S. and will likely be AU.
1. Chapter One: For Good

**Disclaimer**: Person of Interest is not mine. I'm just borrowing the concepts and characters for a little while.

**Spoilers**: Everything up to and including episode 3.10 The Devil's Share is fair game. Slight references to my story, 'Observations and Reflections,' but this can be read on its own.

**A/N**: I had thought about posting this one chapter at a time, but once the promo for 3.11 "Lethe" made this story somewhere around 98.5% AU, I decided to post the whole, completed story in one go. Enjoy!

_**Please note**_: The cities/towns mentioned in future chapters do exist in real life, but most of the details have been fictionalized. If you happen to live in one of those places, I meant no offense.

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**Chapter One: For Good**

He kept his mind carefully blank as he left the cemetery and left his former life behind.

If he allowed himself to think, he was afraid he would change his mind in more than one way.

Having no real plans beyond the idea of leaving town, he considered his options. Minutes later a city bus rolled by and he'd made his decision.

Seeing Finch in the distance had only made him more determined to leave, to disappear for good.

So that's what he did.

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_To be continued…_

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**A/N:** The chapters will vary in length and are all connected to one degree or another.

Beta awesomeness by _ncismom_. If you're a fan of NCIS, I highly recommend her stories.

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	2. Chapter Two: The Last Thing

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

**A/N**: Just a reminder… This was written and posted before episode 3.11 "Lethe" aired in the United States. Enjoy!

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**Chapter Two: The Last Thing**

Moments after settling down in a window seat, he fell asleep. By the time he had awakened, and looked out the window, it was to see the Middle-of-Nowhere, New York. He'd bought a ticket, not caring about the final destination, other than to confirm it would be somewhere out of state.

The sleep had helped, but he still felt like crap and figured he would for a while yet to come due to the severity of his injuries.

As he watched the countryside rapidly pass by his window, he couldn't stop himself from reconsidering all the decisions he had made that had led him to his present state. That was the problem with long drives, they gave you too much time to think especially when that was the last thing you wanted to do.

He thought about the contents of his backpack and knew he didn't have anything within that would occupy his time. He would have to rectify that the next time the bus stopped.

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_To be continued…_

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_**Thanks for reading!**_


	3. Chapter Three: Tempted

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Three: Tempted**

Eventually, he'd cared enough to check out the final destination listed on his ticket: Cincinnati, Ohio. A quick interrogation of the bus driver had provided him with intel on their future stops. He resolved to get off at the next to last stop, steal a car, and head south for a while. He'd already stayed on this bus longer than he should if he wanted to elude Finch. Decision made, he returned to his current crossword puzzle.

When the bus had made its first stop for gas, the available options at the convenience store for keeping his mind too busy to think had been newspapers, magazines, and puzzle books. He had chosen the latter, not wanting to inadvertently choose any reading material that might mention HR or the too-high price he'd paid helping to bring about its downfall.

He'd briefly wished for a selection of paperback books until thoughts of the Library began to creep in. Purchasing one each of the puzzle books available and a package of pens, he left the store as quickly as possible.

He had never been more tempted to buy out a liquor store in order to drown out his thoughts than he'd been at that moment.

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_To be continued…_

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_**Thanks for reading!**_


	4. Chapter Four: Radio

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Four: Radio**

The Toyota Celica he'd stolen was beginning to make him feel more than a little claustrophobic, but it had been the only car with a full tank of gas in the lot.

He'd been driving south for God only knew how long and he'd yet to find a radio station he could listen to for more than a few songs.

In another light, he supposed that could be considered a good thing since it kept his mind off of things he didn't want to think about.

Barely ten miles into his drive he'd realized the downside to his decision to leave the bus. As driver, he had to pay attention to the road, but that didn't mean that part of his mind wasn't trying to think about all that had happened. The radio helped to provide a distraction but he'd decided to get himself back onto public transportation as soon as possible.

He looked down at the gas gauge and saw that he had less than a quarter tank of gas. He hoped the car would make it close enough to the next town so that he could walk the rest of the way. His wounds were healing, but now he needed to start building his stamina back up.

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_To be continued…_

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**A/N: **No offense to Celica drivers, but I didn't think it would be a practical car for a tall person.

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	5. Chapter 5: Interlude 1: Gone

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Five: **_**Interlude 1: Gone**_

He set her lunch tray down on the table, and turned to leave.

"I haven't seen Bear the last couple of days. Is he alright?"

At the door, he replied, "He's fine, Ms. Groves."

Root tilted her head and smiled, looking at him as if she knew all of his secrets. Given her ability to so easily communicate with the Machine, perhaps she did.

"No Harold, he's not. What's happened to John?"

Finch contemplated closing and locking the gate, not bothering to answer her question, but instead he found himself admitting, "He's gone."

He caught a strange flicker of some unidentifiable emotion on her face before it reverted to its usual, almost-condescending expression.

"Gone as in taking a dirt nap, or gone as in ran away?"

The way she had phrased the question infuriated him, so he slammed the door shut and reached for the padlock in order to prevent her from escaping.

"No, Ms. Groves, gone as in taking some time off to heal before returning to once again help with the Numbers."

As he started walking away, Root's voice drifted towards him.

"I don't think you _really_ believe that's going to happen, Harold."

He wanted to argue against what she'd just said, but he couldn't; because right now he really didn't have much hope that he'd ever see his friend again.

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_To be continued…_

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**A/N: **This is my first time writing Root's character… How did I do?

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	6. Chapter Six: Layover

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Chapter Six: Layover **

He'd had an overnight layover in the town he'd walked to because the next bus going west wasn't due until after nine the next morning.

Amongst all the usual shops, the town was large enough to have a two-screen movie theatre, four bars, and a used book store.

He wanted a drink so very, very much, but he avoided the bars and the liquor store by heading into the used book store. The familiar smell of dusty books hit him like a ton of bricks, and he recognized that this avoidance tactic might not have been the best idea after all. He almost turned right back around and left the store, but he reminded himself that he'd been wanting something else besides crosswords and Sudoku puzzles to occupy his time.

Smiling and nodding to the older, white-haired woman at the register, he wandered deeper into the maze of tall bookcases. Eventually, he found sections related to his areas of interest and picked out a couple of books. He also came across a copy of the book he'd been reading before the whole business with HR had come to a head. Because it so strongly reminded him of what he'd left behind, he almost didn't buy it. But, in the end, he plucked it off the shelf and added it to his purchases precisely _because_ it reminded him of what he'd left behind.

He'd originally chosen the book from the Library's stacks more or less in an attempt to annoy Harold than any particular interest in the subject. It was a book about the beginnings of the Internet, and when Finch had seen the title, he'd reacted rather strangely. His friend had stilled for a moment before mocking his choice of reading material for its inaccuracies. This made him want to read the book all the more, if only for the entertainment value of Finch's various expressions of annoyance.

Waiting for his movie to start, he flipped through the book trying find where he had left off. He couldn't believe he hadn't ever thought of reading up on the history of computers and the Internet in order to possibly discover more about Finch. For someone like Harold to have created something as amazing as the Machine, it wasn't too far-fetched a thought to assume Finch might have had a hand in shaping the Internet.

As the lights dimmed and he stowed the book away with the others, he suddenly realized that he really missed his friend and the rare occasions they'd gone to the movies together. He'd managed to be in time to catch the second of a John Wayne double feature. Never having seen _Angel and the Badman_ before, he hoped it would be a good escape from reality.

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_To be continued…_

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**A/N: **_Angel and the Badman_ is in the public domain and available to watch in its entirety on YouTube amongst other places. It came out in 1947 and stars John Wayne and Gail Russell. If you've never seen it, then I recommend giving it a chance.

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	7. Chapter 7: Interlude 2: Need to Know

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Chapter Seven: **_**Interlude 2: Need to Know**_

"It's a little early for dinner, don't you think?" Root said as he opened the door to her room. He could hardly call it a "prison" anymore once she had voluntarily returned after they'd intercepted his dying friend.

Harold almost turned right back around, intent on leaving, but he couldn't stand it any longer. He had to know.

Stepping closer to her, he said, "I was hoping that you could do me a little favor, Ms. Gr—Root."

She laid down the book she had been reading and got up from her chair.

"It must be quite a favor if you're willing to call me by my chosen name, Harry." Before he could do more than acknowledge her statement with a nod, she continued. "Let me guess… you haven't been able to locate your helper monkey and you need my help, or more precisely, you need the Machine's help."

"Not exactly," he replied.

"John ran away," she said, scorn lacing every syllable. "He left you behind to face what is coming on your own. Helper monkeys are a dime a dozen, you don't need him anymore. Why do you want to bother wasting any more time or resources on him?"

Harold had to force himself to take a deep breath and not react the way she wanted him to. She wanted an emotional outburst of some kind, an admission of how much John's leaving had compromised him, but he refused to play her game. Instead, he chose to change the rules ever so slightly. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a cell phone and an earwig, handing both to Ms. Groves.

"Because I need to know," he finally replied.

Root smiled like she had already won the game. "Why didn't you say so, Harry? I'll have his location for you in a jiff, so you can go—."

"No, Ms. Grov—Root, you misunderstand me. I only need to know one thing and one thing only. Reese left here not yet fully healed. All I want to know is if he is alive."

The phone in her hand immediately began ringing and she answered with a confused look on her face.

"But—."

He held up a hand and interrupted her before she could try to tempt him to seek out more information than what he had requested.

"Is he alive? That is all I want you to tell me. That is all I need to know."

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_To be continued…_

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_**Thanks for reading!**_


	8. Chapter Eight: Mistake

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

**A/N: **Just a reminder, _Angel and the Badman_ was the movie mentioned at the end of chapter six.

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**Chapter Eight: Mistake **

It was barely half-way into the movie when he had known that he'd had to leave and leave now. He'd gone to the movies to escape reality and kill some time, but too much of the plot reminded him of the life he'd left behind. An outlaw being influenced and tamed by the way of life of a beautiful girl and her family just hit a little too close to home for him.

Feeling sick to his stomach, he stumbled out of the theatre and immediately spied the bar almost directly across the street. Without hesitation, he walked across the street, but stopped short outside the entrance to the bar.

He needed – he _wanted_ – a drink so bad he could almost feel the burn of the alcohol in his throat. But, if he wanted to remain off the radar, he couldn't go inside. The way he was feeling now, getting drunk would be a gigantic mistake, one tantamount to suicide, and he didn't want to break his promise to Joss. And, if he was lucky enough to survive the drinking or the inevitable bar brawl, he would be jailed, and he wasn't ready to face Harold just yet.

He turned and headed back to his motel, thinking he would stop at the diner next door for something to eat. It would be a good opportunity for him to find his place in that book about the Internet. Perhaps he might even start over again now that he had the thought in his head that Harold might be mentioned in some way.

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_To be continued…_

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_**Thanks for reading!**_


	9. Chapter Nine: The Ringing Phone

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Nine: The Ringing Phone**

Sometime later, in the middle of Texas, he'd finished all but the Sudoku book and one of the books he'd bought in that town he'd never learned the name of.

It was lunch time and they were stopped for a two-hour break. There would be plenty of time for him to find a new supply of entertainment after a quick bite to eat. Nearby, he found a bookstore that also took trade-ins for store credit. He traded in all but one book and used the credit to purchase several classics, including _The Innocents Abroad_ by Mark Twain, which seemed an appropriate choice. Having already trashed his completed puzzle books, he also picked out a half-dozen more from the store's excellent selection.

He had not yet finished his book on the history of the Internet. Instead, he had been taking his time, only reading maybe a handful of pages a day, savoring the idea of possibly finding out one of Finch's secrets.

He'd made it back to the small bus station in plenty of time, and was just coming out of the restroom, when a nearby pay phone began to ring. At the sound, he'd stopped mid-stride and turned towards the phone. The timing was just a little too coincidental. Looking around for a camera, he spotted one over the vending machines, which would have a clear view of the restrooms.

Anger filled him, knowing that Finch had managed to stalk him all this time. He needed time away, time to decide if he wanted to go back to the Numbers, but apparently his former employer couldn't respect his admittedly unspoken wishes. He was also angry at himself since it seemed his skills must really be getting rusty if he couldn't manage to disappear like he'd been able to in the past.

Ignoring the ringing, he stomped towards the bus and got on, choosing a seat on the side opposite so he wouldn't have to see or hear the pay phone.

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_The asset, John Reese, had no way of knowing that only 10.2 hours later Gloria Epstein, 24, would be murdered at that bus stop by Michael Potter, 29. The deceased's abusive ex-boyfriend had followed her when she had decided to leave Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas to escape him._

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_To be continued…_

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**A/N: **If you've never read _The Innocents Abroad_, I highly recommend it. No offense to Kerrville, TX. I needed a city that conformed to certain specifications.

Just in case it's not clear… Yes, that's the Machine at the end.

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	10. Chapter Ten: Almost Answered

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Ten: Almost Answered**

It happened again in El Paso, Texas.

He'd stepped off the bus and just barely stepped inside the terminal when the pay phone he was about to pass rang. He ignored it, just like he had ignored it the last time, and kept walking.

Briefly, he considered crossing the border into Mexico in order to escape Finch's attempts to track and communicate with him, but he'd already decided that he'd wanted to complete his cross-country trip and spend some time at the beach in California. It'd been a long time since he'd been to the beach or even seen the ocean because he had chosen to go and not because he'd been ordered to go.

He stole a car, a not-uncommon occurrence that close to the Mexican border, and continued his trek west. Stopping at a grocery store in Wilcox, Arizona for food, he encountered yet another ringing pay phone.

This time he had almost answered, and had even grabbed the receiver, but he forced himself to let go of it. He refused to give Finch the satisfaction.

Why couldn't Harold leave him in peace?

The fatigue that had been plaguing him was finally gone and he was back to his usual one or two nightmares per night. He had been avoiding calendars and had no idea how long he'd been gone, but regardless of the number of days or weeks, he knew that he had made the right decision to leave New York City.

Except for the lingering guilt over Joss's death, he felt almost the best he had in years. If only his employer would back off and let him have some more time before trying to drag him back to a life he wasn't sure he wanted to live anymore.

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_The asset, John Reese, had no way of knowing that 6.87 hours later in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, a bank robbery had gone wrong, causing the 40-year-old perpetrator, Alexander Overgard, to shoot and kill a teller (Angie Wildman, 30) and two customers (Jackson Smithe, 71, and George Thompson, 45) before being shot dead by local police._

_The asset, John Reese, also had no way of knowing that 23.75 hours after he had left Wilcox, Cochise County, Arizona, that a mechanic (Richard Langer, 21) had been paid to tamper with the breaks of a SUV being used by a U.S. Marshal for the witness protection program. The Marshal (Marilyn Shannon, 37) and the father and child (Mark Mann, 42, and Lucy Mann, 10) in her protective custody were killed instantly when the car's breaks failed and it went over an embankment along Interstate 10._

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_To be continued…_

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**A/N**: I killed a kid! It was off-screen, but still…((buries head in hands and sobs quietly for a few moments)) ;0)

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	11. Chapter 11: Interlude 3: Checking In

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Eleven: **_**Interlude 3: Checking In**_

He'd waited more than a week before asking Root to check in on Mr. Reese again. She taunted him like last time, and like last time, he'd kept calm, not exactly playing by her rules.

He was relieved to hear that Reese was still among the living. But, as he'd left, she'd made sure to inform him that the Machine thought he was heading towards California.

Keeping half a mind on researching the latest Number and the other half on his friend, he contemplated what Ms. Groves had said. If Reese was truly heading to California, then he must be taking his time getting there. Even driving across country, his friend should have been there by now. Perhaps he wasn't traveling every day or was taking a very circuitous route.

Either way, he was pleased to know that his friend was doing well.

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_To be continued…_

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_**Thanks for reading!**_


	12. Chapter Twelve: Something Unusual

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Twelve: Something Unusual**

A few days later, it all came to a head in Mesa, Arizona.

He had stopped for a while, visiting sites like the O.K. Corral in Tombstone before spending a night in Tucson and seeing the Saguaro National Monument on his way out of town. He was thankful it was winter in the Southwest because, after his stint in the Army, he could go the rest of his life without ever again experiencing the kind of heat a desert climate could produce.

Ditching the car he'd stolen only a few hours previously, he was about to board a bus to Flagstaff to spend a couple of days in the snow, when one of three pay phones nearby began to ring. He looked around, but it seemed no one was waiting for it, which meant it could only be Finch on the other end of the line.

Yesterday, for the first time ever, he'd thought of himself as a tourist. He could barely remember the last time he had been on vacation. A long time ago, he and his parents had visited some National Park and had camped out under the stars. It had been the first and last time he had such a great time with his parents.

Joss's death still weighed heavily on him, but he'd finally let go of some of the guilt. His friend would not have been the person she was, wouldn't have been the cop she was, if she had stood by while someone shot and killed another human being – no matter who they were. She had been a protector and had died protecting him. He shouldn't dishonor her sacrifice by feeling guilty for being unable to save her life, especially when he had had no weapon and they had both been taken by surprise.

Finally, after weeks of traveling, just as he was beginning to have fun, another damn pay phone rang. He turned his back on this phone too, but then something unusual happened. One of the two remaining pay phones began to ring out of sync with the first.

Every other time he'd ignored the phones, no other ones had begun ringing. "Pissed off" was a completely inadequate way to describe how angry he was with Finch in that moment.

He wanted to answer and remind his employer that he knew how to make a body disappear, when the third phone started ringing out of sync with the other two.

Losing his temper, he stormed over to the phones. He didn't think it would matter which one he picked up. Choosing the last phone to ring, he put the receiver to his ear and heard a voice he'd not been expecting.

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_To be continued…_

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_**Thanks for reading!**_


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Twelve O'clock

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Thirteen: Twelve O'clock **

"Eight o'clock."

Reese almost dropped the phone when he'd heard the voice on the other end of the line. For 24 hours, he'd once had that voice in his ear; a constant presence not unlike Harold had once been. He'd never thought he'd hear it again in this way, but evidently he was wrong.

"Seven o'clock."

His first instinct had been to grab the gun he knew he did not have. His second was to turn to see what the Machine was trying to tell him.

"One o'clock."

Having turned his back on the pay phones, the target, whoever they were, was now at his one o'clock. There were three possibilities and he had no clue which one it was. Eventually the threesome split apart with goodbye hugs all around.

"Twelve o'clock."

There. The young woman now getting on the bus was who the Machine was pointing him towards. It wasn't too great a stretch to guess that she was a Number, but he didn't know what the Machine thought he could do to help.

"Twelve o'clock."

He wasn't ready for this responsibility, but he didn't think he could let an innocent person get hurt.

"Twelve o'clock."

"Okay, okay. Twelve o'clock. I'm on it," he said into the receiver before hanging up.

He picked up his duffle and got onto the bus. After all, it was the one he was supposed to already be on.

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_To be continued…_

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A/N:I'm not really sure if it's possible for the Machine to act this way, but it seems it can get "creative" when it needs to. I'm just assuming that it wouldn't speak to John the same way it does to Root.

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	14. Ch 14: Interlude 4: Not Quite Everything

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Fourteen: **_**Interlude 4: Not Quite Everything**_

He absolutely abhorred the fact that he couldn't go more than a few days now without finding out Mr. Reese's current status.

Continuing only to ask if his friend was alive, he lived for the little snippets of information Ms. Groves taunted him with every time he walked away from her room. It appeared that she had adjusted to the new rules of their little game.

Today, her final words had been, "I didn't know John could ski."

He hadn't known that either and it had never come up in any of their previous conversations. Reese had inadvertently proven once again that he didn't quite know everything about his friend.

Unable to help himself, he checked on the best places to ski in the western half of the United States. Currently, there were only a few, and he'd had to take Bear out for a long walk to keep from searching for John's location.

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_To be continued…_

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_**Thanks for reading!**_


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Ski Trip

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Fifteen: Ski Trip **

He had kept an eye on his target for the three or so hours it had taken the bus to get to Flagstaff, but nothing had happened to the girl.

Following her to a mid-range ski resort, he had finally learned her name as she had checked in: Jacquelyn Mayer. He felt a momentary pang in his heart upon hearing her given name since it sounded similar to Joss's, but he kept on target. Still nothing had happened.

It wasn't until Jackie, as she introduced herself to others, had gone out skiing right as the lifts had opened early the next morning, that something happened.

It had been years since he'd last had skis on his feet, but muscle memory had taken over and he'd eventually maneuvered himself into position to keep track of Jackie while managing to not look as if he was stalking her.

On her second run down, three young punks had diverted her and had begun threatening to hurt her if she went through with her plans to turn them in for cheating on their exams. When she had refused to back down, they'd started dragging her off the slopes.

Intercepting them, he convinced them via a few broken bones to let her go, while Jackie skied to safety. By the time the three guys had made it the rest of the way down the slope, the police were waiting for them.

The girl was safe and he had once again fulfilled his purpose.

Maybe he _could_ go back home again.

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_To be continued…_

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**A/N:** I have never been skiing, so I apologize for any inaccuracies.

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Two O'Clock

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Sixteen: Two O'clock **

That night he realized something.

Random pay phones had rung at least half a dozen times since he had started on his journey. What if each time he'd refused to answer, thinking it was Finch, someone had died?

But if all this time it really hadn't been Finch, then hadn't he condemned at least six people to die?

"What have I done?" he asked aloud to the empty room.

He didn't know if he could handle knowing for sure that his wrong assumptions and inaction had killed so many. Just a few hours ago, he thought he could go home again, but now he wasn't so sure. He wasn't even sure he could keep his promise to Joss right now.

"I just…needed some time. I wasn't…wasn't ready yet," he mumbled as he sat on his bed with his head in his hands.

Suddenly, the room's phone rings, and without thinking, he crosses the room to pick it up.

"Four o'clock."

He twisted his head and saw himself staring back in the mirrored closet door. Had his Number come up again?

"I don't understand," he said into the phone.

"Two o'clock," the Machine replied.

At his two o'clock was the door to his hotel room.

"Two o'clock," the eerie voices repeat.

In the next moment, there was a knock at his door and he set the receiver down to answer it. A bellhop handed him a garment bag.

"This was delivered to you downstairs, Mr. Kainan."

He reached into his pocket for spare change and pulled out a five dollar bill. "Thanks," he says as he handed it to the kid before shutting the door. Walking over to the bed, he set the garment bag down and unzipped it. He's pretty confident of what he'd find inside and he was not disappointed – there was a black suit and a white, long-sleeved dress shirt.

He laid the clothes back on the bed and picked up the telephone receiver.

As if there was a real person on the other end of the line, he said, "But those people. I can't—."

"Two o'clock," the Machine replied, once again indicating his hotel room door. It repeat, "two o'clock," one more time before the line was disconnected.

The door. Evidently, the Machine wanted him to leave the hotel, and go home. It wanted him back in "uniform" to resume fulfilling his purpose once more.

If that was true, then it was a good thing he was finally ready.

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_To be continued…_

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**A/N:** Kudos to anyone who caught my one-word movie reference.

Just a reminder that, while this story was beta'd by the awesome _ncismom_, lingering mistakes are my fault.

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	17. Chapter Seventeen: The Discovery

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Seventeen: The Discovery **

Let it not be said that he wasn't stubborn.

Instead of booking a flight back to New York City, he got a ticket for San Diego, California. The minute he had stepped close to a courtesy phone, it had rung and he had picked it up.

The Machine said, "Five o'clock." Looking over his shoulder he saw a nearby ticketing counter.

He countered the demand, saying, "I have something I need to do first. Two more days, okay?"

Thirty seconds later, the line abruptly went dead, and he took that as an agreement of his terms on the Machine's part.

He spent a day and a half touring the various beaches in and around San Diego, finally settling on one in La Jolla. It was likely going to be his last vacation for a long time to come and he was determined to enjoy the beach despite the cold weather.

He even managed to get around to finishing his book on the history of the Internet. At one point, he nearly spit out his beer all over it when he'd read about the "hacker who had got away". This hacker had been the one who had ensured that the Internet would become an open forum. The book could only speculate on the hacker's true identity, but John was pretty sure he had already met him.

No wonder Finch had disapproved of him reading this book. It certainly went a long way to explaining why Harold was such a private person and why he so highly valued his anonymity.

For several minutes, he considered taunting Finch with what he had learned from his book, but in the end he decided against it. He already knew part of the price Harold had paid to accomplish so much, and hoped that one day his friend would share more about his previous life with him.

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_To be continued…_

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**A/N:** I took the information about the "hacker who got away" from episode 2.11 '2 π r' written by Dan Dietz. I thought it was only fair that Reese learn what had been implied about Harold in that episode.

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	18. Chapter 18: Interlude 5: Two More Days

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Eighteen: **_**Interlude 5: Two More Days**_

The Numbers never stopped, but as time had gone on, he began to miss his friend more and more. They were handling things, essentially getting by, but they were missing both their fallen friend as well as their wandering friend.

It had been long enough that he was beginning to have no hope whatsoever that John would be coming back.

Still he went to Ms. Groves every couple of days to ask about him.

"He's at the beach."

Without thinking about their usual games, he blurted, "In this weather?"

"Why not?" Root countered.

This time as he left her behind in her room, he had heard four words that had restored his hope.

"Two more days, Harold."

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_To be concluded…_

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_**Thanks for reading!**_


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Worth Living For

**Disclaimer and Spoilers**: See Chapter One

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**Chapter Nineteen: Worth Living For**

He made a reservation on the earliest flight available because it was a non-stop flight. He had been slightly surprised it was not sold out at such a late date, but in the end, he decided that the Machine had pulled some strings behind the scenes.

Paring his accumulated belongs back down to a few essentials, he gave the rest away to the nearest shelter, including the suit that the Machine had sent him. He ended up keeping his book about the Internet, wanting to have something to commemorate his trip. He'd had the book since almost the beginning of his journey and it had come to symbolize all he had been through during it – both the good days and the bad.

Making his way over to a kiosk selling a variety of electronics, he bought a pre-paid cell phone. Nervous for the call he was about to make, he cut his hand trying to get the phone out of its packaging.

As he waited for the call to connect, he hoped that Finch had forgiven him and would want him to come back.

"Hello," answered a voice he hadn't heard in far too long.

"Finch, I—."

"When are you coming home, John?"

He forgot to breathe for a few moments, but soon enough his lungs reminded him of his need for oxygen.

"Today, Harold. I'll text you the details."

"I'll meet you outside of security. We'll go to dinner to celebrate your return."

"Sounds good. See you soon."

He would always mourn the loss of both Jessica and Joss, but it was in part because of them that he had found his true purpose in life.

He saved lives.

Maybe not all of them, but enough. And maybe someday, he will have saved more lives than he had taken.

He had promised Joss he wouldn't kill himself, and now he had something worth living for.

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_The end._

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**A/N:** Anyone else excited to see where the rest of the season is headed?

_**Thanks for reading!**_


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